Kathmandu

Artist Sujan Chitrakar feels we might be engraving the concept of objectifying women and girls into our children as an “aesthetic object” when we give them putali (doll) to play with. The way children are painted with makeup to look pretty and cute, he says “we are limiting the parameters of beauty”. And the way fairy tales have narrated woman as someone who needs to be rescued by a prince has him questioning the status quo of women in society.

He throws open the debate through his visual art ‘Object of Desire’ — he has showcased nine tiny dolls in frocks in a box, their lips smeared with red lipstick; the box’s glass has a text from Manusmriti 3/56 which translates as: “Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where they are not, all actions are fruitless”.

And this work is an art “for change”. He wishes “to exhibit the photographs in schools to bring about awareness in students” where such superstitions are prevalent.

The artwork that reflect the theme of woman and her exploitation and empowerment as well as evoke you at the same time of the need for change include works by Ang Tsherin Sherpa, Lava Thomas, Cate White, Sujan Chitrakar, Hit Man Gurung, Stacy Leigh, Sheelasha Raibhandari, The Ugly Truth Campaign, among others.

The exhibition that opened on July 14 is on till July 31.